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It was a tough series for the Royals in Detroit, as they were swept in three games. That included a brutal walkoff loss on Thursday, as Lucas Erceg was unable to hold a two-run lead in the ninth inning. Unfortunately, things did not get much better on Friday evening in the Bronx. After Vinnie Pasquantino tied up the game at two in the top of the 8th with a solo home run, pinch hitter Ryan McMahon ended up hitting a two-run bomb off of Alex Lange, which ended up clinching the game for the Yankees. It's easy to get discouraged about the Royals after a tough start to the 2026 season. After a great showcase in the World Baseball Classic, Royals (and baseball) fans were optimistic about Kansas City's outlook for the upcoming season. Unfortunately, a lot has been similar to 2025, especially offensively. Going into Friday's game against the Yankees, the Royals ranked 25th in batting average and OBP, 26th in OPS and runs scored, and 24th in home runs hit. Their 83 team wRC+ ranks 25th in baseball, according to Fangraphs. And if that isn't bad enough, the Royals' bullpen has struggled immensely through the first 19 games of the season. A strength of the club in 2025 (Carlos Estevez led the league in saves last year), it's been an Achilles heel of the group, especially after Estevez went on the IL (though his one appearance against Atlanta wasn't encouraging either). Royals relievers rank 29th in ERA and WHIP, 27th in BB/9, 28th in H/9, and 26th in HR/9. When it comes to most bullpen results, Kansas City ranks toward the bottom of the league. With a cold offense and a poor bullpen, it seems like Royals fans would be better off lowering their expectations for this team, perhaps thinking this is a replica of the 2025 team rather than the 2024 one that won a Wild Card series. However, I am going to share three reasons why Royals fans should remain optimistic, even after this bleak start to the 2026 campaign. The Plate Discipline is Encouraging One of the big priorities for the Royals this offseason, especially with the arrivals of new assistant hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames, was to limit the chasing at the plate. From 2024 to 2025, the Royals ranked 24th in baseball with a 29.5% O-Swing%. They also ranked 29th in BB% at 7.2%. While they ranked 10th in BB/K (0.38), they also ranked 21st in wRC+ (95). This season, the BB% and BB/K ratio have seen encouraging gains. They rank 17th in BB% at 9.6%, a 2.4% increase from the past two seasons. They rank a bit lower in BB/K ratio at 20th, but their 0.42 BB/K ratio is actually better than their combined ratio from the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The biggest improvement this season, though, has been in terms of O-Swing% (or chase). According to Fangraphs, the Royals have a 26.7% O-Swing%, the fourth-best rate in baseball. That is a 2.8% improvement from their 2024-2025 average O-Swing%. When it comes to individual Royals hitters in terms of O-Swing%, here's how they have fared this season. The Royals have five hitters with an O-Swing% below 25 percent so far this season. Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, and Michael Massey have rates under 30%. Massey being under 30% is a great improvement, especially since he had an average O-Swing% of 37.7% between 2024 and 2025. Thus, while the results haven't quite been there for Kansas City offensively, the plate-discipline processes, if maintained, should yield more fruit as the season goes on. The Royals Are Still Hitting the Ball Hard Kansas City has not hit many home runs, and its .346 SLG ranks 26th in baseball, according to Fangraphs. However, that doesn't mean that the Royals have only been producing "weak" contact this season. The Royals rank second in average exit velocity on batted balls with a 90.5 MPH EV. That is second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their 90th EV ranks second at 106 MPH, their Max EV ranks 6th at 116.1 MPH, and their hard-hit rate also ranks 6th at 42.7%. They also rank 7th in barrel rate at 9.6%. When it comes to how Royals hitters are performing in those Statcast categories on an individual basis, there's a lot to be encouraged about, especially when it comes to their exit velocities, as illustrated below. Starling Marte, Cags, Garcia, Witt, and Massey are the Top-5 hitters when it comes to exit velocity and are the only Royals hitters averaging 90+ MPH in EV. The Top-10 Royals hitters all have EV marks of 89 MPH or above. The only concerning ones with exit velocities under 88 MPH are Lane Thomas, Nick Loftin, and Jonathan India (though they help out more in the plate discipline categories). Royals fans know the hitters have improved their chase rate through 20 games this year. That said, that hasn't come at the expense of hitting the ball hard, either. Kansas City has hitters who can hit the ball hard and launch it effectively when they connect. Eight Royals hitters have a barrel rate sof 10% or higher, and Pasquantino has a 9.1% barrel rate that's growing after back-to-back games with home runs. Unfortunately, those connections haven't clicked enough for the Royals this year in terms of on-base and run production. Garcia and Witt have xwOBA marks of .362 and .361, respectively. However, only Cags and Kyle Isbel are other Royals hitters with xwOBA marks over .320, and the bottom seven hitters have xwOBA marks under .300. Going into Friday, the Royals' team xwOBA was .306, which ranked 26th in baseball. Thus, Kansas City has to find a way to transition this solid contact ability into run production, especially with runners in scoring position. In RISP situations this season, the Royals have a .244 wOBA, the worst in baseball. The Royals' Pitcher Stuff Has Been Okay (Despite Bullpen Issues) When it comes to relievers, it's important to have pitchers that sport solid stuff profiles. Last season, the Royals ranked 26th in baseball with a 97 overall Stuff+ rating, per Fangraphs. This season, they rank 29th with an overall 96 Stuff+ rating, down 1 point. Thus, why am I saying that their pitching stuff has been "okay" so far in 20 games? Well, they have had some stuff leaders dramatically drop, with Estevez being the prime example. He went from having a 103 overall TJ Stuff+ in 2025, when he led Major League Baseball with 42 saves, to 96 in his first and only appearances of 2026. Here's a comparison of his TJ Stuff+ profile from last season and his lone outing this year, which came against the Braves. Last year, Estevez not only had a 103 TJ Stuff+ but also had 60 and 57 grades on his four-seamer and slider, respectively. Furthermore, while he struggled to generate consistent chase (22.8%) and whiff (18.8%) last season, he still maintained a strong zone rate (55.7%) and a decent xwOBACON (.363). This year, that zone rate is 40.7%, a 15% decline. He also has a .599 xwOBACON and a 96 overall TJ Stuff+, a seven-point difference from a year ago. His four-seamer and slider also have only 48 and 38 grades this season, and as a result, he threw his changeup much more this year, at 22.2%. Unfortunately, his changeup hasn't been much better stuff-wise, with a 50 grade. So the Royals' closer brings down the group quite a bit in the stuff rankings. However, if his velocity returns when he comes off the IL, then the bullpen looks a lot better than it is right now. Let's take a look at how the Royals pitchers have fared this year, via TJ Stuff+ metrics. Estevez ranks near the bottom, unsurprisingly. Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Noah Cameron rank at or near the bottom quintiles, but they're starters more known for their command rather than their stuff. Furthermore, the lack of premium TJ Stuff+ marks hasn't hurt their effectiveness. They have ERA marks of 1.00, 1.48, and 3.94, respectively. The bullpen has produced strong TJ Stuff+ marks despite poor results. The Royals have nine pitchers (seven relievers) who had TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. That includes Steven Cruz (109), Nick Mears (104), Luinder Avila (103), Lucas Erceg (103), Alex Lange (102), Bailey Falter (101), and Matt Strahm (100). The only relievers under that century TJ Stuff+ mark are Eli Morgan (99) and John Schreiber (98). Thus, the Royals have guys who can bring it. I talked about that in a recent Twitter post reviewing the bullpen's poor performance on Thursday in the walkoff loss to the Tigers. Yes, the results were bad, but the stuff was surprisingly good from the three Kansas City relievers (Erceg, Mears, and Schreiber) who struggled in Detroit. The Royals' bullpen definitely has a chase problem. They rank last in the league in reliever chase rate at 28.2%. Kansas City's relievers have to be better, especially with Estevez returning to full strength. Are the chase issues pitch-calling related? Command related? Control related? Or a whole different issue? Regardless, the bullpen has plenty of arms who have solid arsenals that could produce a lot of strikes, both of the swinging and looking variety. Hence, fans should focus more on the TJ Stuff+ and how it could produce better outcomes down the road for these Royals pitchers rather than worry about this rough stretch of baseball, where the Kansas City relievers have looked downright terrible (which is saying something from a Royals fan). View the full article

Amid a largely encouraging start for the Minnesota Twins, there's been no shortage of grousing and grumbling about James Outman, whose start has been anything but encouraging. Here in mid-April, the backup outfielder is still searching for his first hit of the season — through 20 plate appearances he's gone 0-for-18 with 10 strikeout and two walks. It's no isolated slump. Outman also struggled mightily down the stretch last year after being acquired in exchange for reliever Brock Stewart at the deadline. In total, he's batting .124 with a .485 OPS and 44% strikeout rate as a Twin. Turning 29 next month, he's not exactly a youthful upside play at this point. The promise Outman showed as a rookie back in 2023 has vanished from sight. It's understandable why fans are eager to see Outman ousted. The case for sticking with him rests on two factors: His role is extremely limited. Outman has started only four of Minnesota's first 17 games, and his 20 PAs rank 13th on the team. Nobody who's been on the roster since the start of the season has played less. You don't want to call up a legitimate player or prospect like Emmanuel Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins or even Alan Roden to languish on the bench and get a handful of ABs each week. His skills for that limited role are suitable. While he hasn't hit at all, Outman can play all three outfielder positions well and the Twins trust him in center. He also runs well and is 2-for-2 on stolen bases. That's really the primary function of his pure bench role, and he excels with these specific skills more than most alternatives. There's also the matter of Outman being out of options, meaning he'd have to be DFA'ed and put through waivers if removed from the active roster. It's likely the main reason he made the team out of camp, but it's becoming less and less of a consideration. Would Outman even be claimed by another team at this point? If he does, would it really be a big deal? The reality is that Kreidler offers everything that Outman does and then some. Need a glove-first (glove-only?) player you can count on all over the outfield, including center? Someone who can run reasonably well if needed as an in-game sub? A guy who you don't mind using sparingly as a bench piece? Check, check, check. Kreidler is a very good defender all over the field. He might not be quite as good as Outman in center, but he's close; keep in mind that Kreidler started there on Opening Day for the Tigers last year. Additionally he can back up every infield position, and he'll be an upgrade over the starter at each. Right now, the Twins lack any purpose-fit defensive replacements for their lackluster infield unit. The big knock on Kreidler is that he's been one of the worst hitters in baseball. His initial stint with the Twins, which has included two homers and four RBIs in his first three games, has been intriguing on this front, but it's too early to invest much belief in his offense on this basis. Dating back to 2024, Kreidler's .191 wOBA is sixth-worst among 593 MLB players with 100+ PA. Outman is only slightly better, with his .229 wOBA 22nd-worst. You're looking at two offensive non-factors, and one is bringing far more to the table as a versatile utilityman versus a player whose sole value is being able to handle center field. Royce Lewis is eligible to return from the injured list as soon as Monday, and is scheduled to scheduled to start a rehab stint on Saturday. He's in line to return at some point next week. Whenever Lewis is activated, the corresponding move should not be to send down Kreidler, who was brought up as his replacement, but rather Outman, whose ostensible value has been replaced by the Kreidler. View the full article

The old baseball axiom still rings true: you can never have too much pitching. Offseason trades left the Miami Marlins particularly vulnerable in that area entering 2026. Fortunately, the early returns from their Triple-A depth arms have been highly encouraging. Five hours away from loanDepot park in Jacksonville, two lefties are performing well and each is screaming for a promotion to the big leagues (for very different reasons). First, there’s Braxton Garrett. The Marlins’ first-round pick in 2016, the lefty received his first call-up in 2020 as a COVID necessity, having barely pitched at the Double-A level. He then spent most of 2021 in Triple-A before fully transitioning to the majors in 2022. Retooled with a slider supplanting his curveball as his primary putaway pitch and with improved fastball command, Garrett enjoyed solid campaigns in both '22 and '23, posting a combined 3.63 ERA and 246/53 K/BB. Braxton came into 2024 with a firm grip on a starting rotation spot, but just 37 innings into the year, he was shelved with a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery, costing him the remainder of that season as well as all of 2025. Garrett is back healthy this year, but was relegated to Triple-A to start the season in favor of Janson Junk, who is out of minor league options, and fellow former first-rounder Max Meyer. The latest exports from Garrett with the Jumbo Shrimp are a 0.59 ERA and 17/5 K/BB through 15 ⅓ innings. In his last start, he held a no hitter through six. Then there’s Robby Snelling, who was part of the return package that sent reliever Tanner Scott to the Padres in 2024. After posting inflated numbers in the upper minors with San Diego—an org known for pushing their prospects quickly—all this lefty has done since joining the Marlins’ organization is impress. Last season between Pensacola and Jacksonville, Snelling posted a 2.51 ERA via a 1.11 WHIP and 166/39 K/BB over 136 innings, earning him the Marlins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. On the young campaign this year, Snelling has already been special—in his first four starts with Jacksonville, he has a 1.89 ERA via a 31/9 K/BB. Across parts of three seasons with the Jumbo Shrimp, Snelling boasts a 1.42 ERA, more than half a run better than any other starting pitcher with at least 50 innings logged at AAA during that span. For the stark improvements, Snelling has credited a delivery change that he perfected in the offseason between 2024 and 2025. The change has him standing more upright throughout his motion and throwing from a higher arm slot. This has led to his velocity ticking back up as well as better all-around repeatability. On top of that, the Marlins’ pitching development team had Snelling drop his sinker and taught him a gyro slider, which has quickly become a fantastic pitch for the 6’3”, 210-pounder who excels at changing eye levels and clipping corners. The current version the Marlins have brought out of Snelling is a perfect mix of confident and dominant. Against Triple-A hitters, he’s living all around the black of the plate, elevating at will with the best velocity he’s ever had, and limiting hard contact by way of two plus breakers and a usable changeup. Snelling looks every bit of a viable mid-rotation MLB starter. There’s little doubt: both Garrett and Snelling will be with the Marlins in 2026. The question is, with arms aplenty and rotation spots few, who comes up first? In my opinion, the answer doesn’t lie within which pitcher has performed the best or the sexiest name—it hinges on the business side of the game and within long-term organizational planning. The deadline has passed that ensures MLB teams can save an extra year of control on promoted prospects (barring a top-two finish in Rookie of the Year balloting). However, Snelling, who has arguably been one of the best pitchers in Minor League Baseball last year and so far this year, would be on track for Super Two eligibility if brought up right now, qualifying for arbitration in 2029. Holding off on his promotion until the middle of June would delay that until 2030. Garrett needs MLB innings. At age 28 and in his second year of arbitration eligibility, with the likes of Snelling, Thomas White and other prospects nipping at his feels, Garrett appears to be a name primed to be moved this July. If that is going to be the case, interested parties will want to see at least a decent sample of how he looks at the big league level after nearly a two-year layoff. An added factor is ease of access to the roster. Whereas Snelling would require a 40-man roster spot, getting Braxton back to the big leagues is as easy as a 26-man move. Getting him back into the rotation could be as easy as moving Janson Junk to the bullpen. While Junk has done yeoman’s work holding down the fifth spot, he is a better fit for the bullpen in a multi-inning/swing man capacity. One may argue that moving Meyer to the bullpen would also be beneficial, but the Marlins have not iterated any intentions of shortening the leash on him as a starter; in fact, the message from the organization has been exactly the opposite. For fans who follow the team closely, not seeing Snelling get the call now in the midst of a dominant stretch may be painful, but these decisions are befitting of a team whose competitive window is about to fully open. Have no fear; Robby Snelling will be here soon enough and has the makings of an arm that could be very good for the Marlins for a long time. If Garrett is indeed dealt at the deadline, it would seamlessly open the door for Snelling to take up a rotation spot. He should also be considered one of the first names in line if an injury occurs. View the full article

Kash Mayfield struck out eight over five scoreless one-hit innings as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps took Game 1 of a doubleheader 1-0, before dropped the second game 4-3. Triple-A El Paso fell 9-7 despite four home runs, including two from Nick Schnell. Double-A San Antonio dropped a 9-3 decision to Midland, with home runs from Romeo Sanabria and Chris Sargent. Low-A Lake Elsinore rallied past Stockton 6-3 behind Luke Cantwell's three-hit night and reliever Brandon Langley's win. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres optioned RHP Alek Jacob to El Paso Chihuahuas. Schnell's Two Homers Not Enough As Chihuahuas Fall To Round Rock The El Paso Chihuahuas hit four home runs, but could not overcome an early deficit in a 9-7 loss to the Round Rock Express. Nick Schnell led the Chihuahuas' attack with a pair of long balls and four RBIs, including a three-run shot in the third inning that put El Paso ahead 4-2. Schnell, Mason McCoy, and Clay Dungan each added solo home runs during a three-run fifth inning that knotted the score 7-7. Starter JP Sears was tagged for seven runs on eight hits across 3⅓ innings, walking five and striking out four. Sears surrendered a two-run home run in the fourth that pushed Round Rock ahead 7-4 before he exited. Misael Tamarez followed with two innings in relief, striking out three and walking none, though he was charged with the go-ahead run in the sixth. Jase Bowen reached base four times with a double and three walks. Pablo Reyes and Marcos Castañon collected two hits apiece. EP_0417.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor (LF) 4 0 0 0 1 1 Jase Bowen (CF) 2 1 1 0 3 0 Pablo Reyes (DH) 5 0 2 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon (3B) 5 0 2 1 0 0 Nick Solak (1B) 4 1 1 0 0 0 Clay Dungan (2B) 5 1 1 1 0 2 Mason McCoy (SS) 2 2 1 1 2 1 Nick Schnell (RF) 3 2 2 4 0 0 Anthony Vilar (C) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR JP Sears 3 1/3 8 7 7 5 4 1 Misael Tamarez 2 2 1 1 0 3 0 Eli Villalobos 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 Sanabria, Sargent Go Deep In Missions' Loss To Midland The San Antonio Missions fell 9-3 to the Midland RockHounds despite home runs from Romeo Sanabria and Chris Sargent. Sanabria got the Missions on the board with a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning, his second home run of the season and of the series. Luis Verdugo followed with a sacrifice fly that brought home Albert Fabian, trimming the deficit to 3-2. Sargent added a solo blast to left field in the eighth, his first home run of the year. Starter Ian Koenig took the loss after 5⅔ innings of work, allowing six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Koenig surrendered two home runs, including a three-run shot in the second that staked Midland to an early lead. Carson Tucker collected two hits and swiped two bases, while Sanabria added a second hit alongside his home run. San Antonio managed just six total hits, drew only one walk as a team, and struck out eight times. SA_0417.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan Jackson (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Romeo Sanabria (1B) 4 1 2 1 0 1 Albert Fabian (RF) 4 1 1 0 0 0 Carson Tucker (SS) 4 0 2 0 0 2 Luis Verdugo (2B) 3 0 0 1 0 1 Kai Murphy (LF) 2 0 0 0 1 0 Kai Roberts (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 Chris Sargent (C) 3 1 1 1 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 5 2/3 7 6 6 2 2 2 Manuel Castro 2/3 3 1 1 0 0 0 Michael Flynn 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Andrew Dalquist 1 1/3 0 2 2 3 2 0 Mayfield's 8-Strikeout Gem Lifts TinCaps To Win In Twinbill Split Kash Mayfield delivered a dominant performance as the Fort Wayne TinCaps edged the Lake County Captains 1-0 in the opening game of a doubleheader. The TinCaps dropped the nightcap 4-3. In the opener, Mayfield, the Padres' first-round draft choice in 2024 and Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, worked five scoreless innings and faced just one over the minimum, scattering just one hit while striking out eight of the 16 batters faced and issuing no walks to earn the win. The hit was the first allowed by Mayfield in his first three starts this season, covering 12 innings. He has 16 strikeouts in that span. Clay Edmondson followed with two innings of one-hit relief, walking one and striking out one to collect the save. The TinCaps' lone run came across in the top of the sixth inning. Kavares Tears drew a walk with one out, advanced to second on a line-drive single by Jake Cunningham, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jack Costello. Tears crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give Fort Wayne a 1-0 lead that the pitching staff would not relinquish. Rosman Verdugo led the TinCaps at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk, while Cunningham also went 2-for-3. Tears drew two walks. In the second game, Kasen Wells led the TinCaps offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Alex McCoy contributed a sacrifice fly in the fourth that also scored Wells. Starter Isaiah Lowe worked three innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five and walking three. Lake County scored twice in the fifth inning against Matthew Watson to take a 3-1 lead. Fort Wayne pulled within 3-2 in the top of the sixth on a single by Lamar King Jr. that brought home Wells. The Captains, however, scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to retake the lead for good. The TinCaps tried to rally in the seventh, with Dylan Grego lifting a sacrifice fly that scored Jack Costello to pull within 4-3, but they could get no closer. FW_0417.mp4 FIRST GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo (3B) 3 0 2 0 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez (C) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Alex McCoy (1B) 4 0 1 0 0 0 Kavares Tears (RF) 1 1 0 0 2 0 Jake Cunningham (LF) 3 0 2 0 0 0 Jack Costello (DH) 2 0 0 0 0 0 Oswaldo Linares (2B) 2 0 0 0 1 0 Dylan Grego (SS) 2 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kash Mayfield 5 1 0 0 0 8 0 Clay Edmondson 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells (CF) 3 2 2 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo (2B) 4 0 1 0 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez (DH) 2 0 0 0 1 0 Alex McCoy (LF) 2 0 1 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. (C) 3 0 1 1 0 0 Jake Cunningham (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Costello (1B) 3 1 1 0 0 1 Jonathan Vastine (3B) 2 0 0 0 0 0 Kavares Tears (PH) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Dylan Grego (SS) 1 0 0 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Isaiah Lowe 3 3 1 1 3 5 0 Matthew Watson 1 1/3 2 2 2 0 2 0 C.J. Widger 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Will Varmette 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 Cantwell's 3-Hit Night Powers Storm Past Stockton The Lake Elsinore Storm overcame an early deficit by scoring in each of the last four innings to defeat the Stockton Ports 6-3. Luke Cantwell went 3-for-4, including a two-run double in the eighth inning that broke a 3-3 tie. Justin DeCriscio added two hits, including a run-scoring double in the ninth that capped the scoring. Starter Kruz Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect and the Padres' first-round pick last year, worked three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Rordy Mejia followed with 2⅔ scoreless innings of one-hit relief, striking out four and issuing one walk. Brandon Langley earned the win with 1⅓ innings of hitless work, striking out three. Ethan Long pitched a perfect ninth for the save. Trailing 2-0 entering the sixth, the Storm scratched back on a pair of Stockton miscues, with Kerrington Cross and Cantwell each scoring on errors to even the game 2-2. Ryan Wideman's seventh-inning sacrifice fly to center scored Cross to briefly push Lake Elsinore ahead 3-2, Cantwell delivered the knockout blow in the eighth, and DeCriscio iced the game in the ninth. LE_0417.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman (CF) 4 0 1 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna (DH) 3 0 0 0 2 2 George Bilecki (LF) 5 0 0 0 0 2 Kale Fountain (RF) 4 1 0 0 1 1 Justin DeCriscio (2B) 4 1 2 1 0 0 Jorge Quintana (SS) 5 1 1 0 0 2 Victor Duarte (C) 3 0 0 0 1 1 Kerrington Cross (3B) 3 2 1 0 1 0 Luke Cantwell (1B) 4 1 3 2 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 3 4 2 1 2 3 0 Rordy Mejia 2 2/3 1 1 0 1 4 0 Brandon Langley 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Will Koger 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 Ethan Long 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K, W Ethan Salas: 0-for-4, K Kruz Schoolcraft: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-5, R, 2 K Kale Fountain: 0-for-4, R, BB, K Ryan Wideman: 1-for-4, RBI, SB Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr: 1-for-3, RBI Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI, K Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K, SB Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K Kavares Tears: 0-for-2, 2 BB, R, K Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP View the full article

Way back when before the earth cooled and the Mets were managed by Yogi Berra, The Carol Burnett Show ran a sketch loaded with gay subtext (in which the sub-) barely qualified, in which Harvey Korman and Steve Lawrence, as rival businessmen fight over a client (Tim Conway) with the passion of spurned lovers — each desiring the client less for himself but for the pain it causes them to see him with another. Such is the case with young Richard Lovelady. Transactions, 4/16/2026 GOING Traded to WAS for Cash Relief Pitchers Richard Lovelady L/L DoB: 1995-07-07 High Level: MLB (2026) Here are some of the recent transaction history for Richard (nee Dicky) Lovelady: June 23, 2025: New York Mets signed free agent LHP Richard Lovelady. June 25- September 27, 2025: Up, down, up, down, yadda-yadda-yadda, including three DFAs. September 29, 2025: LHP Richard Lovelady elected free agency. October 23, 2025: New York Mets signed free agent LHP Richard Lovelady. January 22, 2026: New York Mets designated LHP Richard Lovelady for assignment. January 29, 2026: Washington Nationals claimed LHP Richard Lovelady off waivers from New York Mets. March 10, 2026: Washington Nationals designated LHP Richard Lovelady for assignment. March 14, 2026: New York Mets claimed LHP Richard Lovelady off waivers from Washington Nationals. March 14, 2026: New York Mets activated LHP Richard Lovelady. April 11, 2026: New York Mets designated LHP Richard Lovelady for assignment. April 16, 2026: New York Mets traded LHP Richard Lovelady to Washington Nationals for cash. April 17, 2026: Washington Nationals activated LHP Richard Lovelady. Now, Mets Roster Central doesn't know about you, but that looks like two teams that only kind of want a guy, but suddenly develop more respect for him when they see the other team has interest. Or, going back to the sketch, two would-be lovers whose ardor for their mutual target becomes more inflamed as they see him in the arms of another. Human psychology — and biology — can be weird like that, and seeing it seemly play out the multi-billion-dollar world of Major League Baseball is illuminating. Anyhow, nobody dislikes the stupid game of Reliever Roulette more than Mets Roster Central, churning through human lives even when your pen is far from sapped, as a way to feel like you are doing something about your dreadfully performing squad while covering your eyes to the grossly obvious fact that the problem is on the offensive side of the ball. Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Practice Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Kodai Senga R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Craig Kimbrel Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 32291 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Brett Baty Bo Bichette Francisco Lindor Jorge Polanco R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 Infielders Infielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Carson Benge MJ Melendez Tommy Pham Luis Robert, Jr. Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 R/R DoB: 32210 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 R/R DoB: 34356 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Christian Scott Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. On 15-Day Injured List with blistered right finger. On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger Ronny Mauricio Nick Morabito L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse, on Seven-Day IL With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse Outfielders Juan Soto Jared Young L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 On 15-Day Injured List with strained right calf On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. View the full article

MIAMI, Fla. — The Miami Marlins defense did not have a stellar beginning to the 2026 season, but it seemed like they got sharper towards the end of their most recent road trip in Detroit and Atlanta. Friday’s 7-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers felt like a regression to their previous ways. The Brewers took a 3-0 lead with a fourth inning that was marred by bad defense. The Marlins caught up with a two-run home run from Otto Lopez in the seventh and an RBI double from Agustin Ramirez the following inning that tied the game at 4-4. Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher loaded the bases in the 10th inning with a single and a walk on a pitch clock violation. Luis Rengifo hit a ground ball to Xavier Edwards, who threw home to Ramirez. Although the throw was on target, Ramirez, for lack of a better phrase, whiffed on the catch. The ball rolled to the backstop, allowing the go-ahead run to score. “From where I was sitting, it looked like (Ramirez) tried to make play number two before play one,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “It looked like he just kind of came out of there, really trying to get that 4-2-3 double play and just vacated a little too soon.” For his part, Ramirez was accountable and direct when asked what happened postgame: “I missed it.” That miss wasn’t the first miscue Ramirez made Friday. In the aforementioned fourth inning, Luis Rengifo stood on third with two out. Ramirez attempted to pick him off, but the throw sailed into left field, allowing him to score. It was Ramirez’s third throwing error of the season. Ramirez wasn’t alone in the defensive breakdowns in that inning. Starting pitcher Janson Junk allowed a single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with one out. Brewers centerfielder Garrett Mitchell hit a soft ground ball to the right side of the infield. Junk, second baseman Xavier Edwards, and first baseman Connor Norby all converged on the ball. Edwards wound up fielding the ball, but nobody was left to cover the bag. By the time Norby got back to first, Mitchell was safe, and a run had scored. Junk took some of the fault, saying he momentarily went for the ball instead of sprinting to first base from the get-go. “The angle I was taking, it felt like the ball was a little bit higher than what I could get to,” Junk said. “And with that split second doubt, I was going to have one of the fielders (get to the ball). It's not like I'm looking back exactly where we're positioned. I think he just hit it in the perfect spot. When I turned around, it was like, ‘oh crap. this is gonna be difficult to get back (to first base).” Norby took reps at first base and the outfield during spring training. But when starting first baseman Christopher Morel suffered a left oblique strain on Opening Day, Norby was thrust into that spot—a position he hadn’t played as a pro. Prior to Friday, Norby had actually recorded zero outs above average, according to Statcast, making him a league-average first baseman by that metric. The Marlins rank fourth-worst among MLB teams this season in defensive runs saved with minus-7, according to FanGraphs. View the full article

Box Score Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Luke Keaschall (-.360), Victor Caratini (-.150), Matt Wallner (-.130) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The lefty menace continues. Aren’t southpaws an endangered species? Well, the Twins must exist in some sort of statistical oddity; lefties aplenty have been abound, as Minnesota manager Derek Shelton could carve “Buxton, Martin, Keaschall” into rock and make up the rest of his lineup later. No matter: the lineup has feasted on those deemed devilish in a previous time. Would Friday be more of the same? Joe Ryan took the mound for the Twins, and he was Joe Ryan-y from the get-go, perfectly dotting the outside corner to Matt McLain to highlight a 1-2-3 first frame. Then it was Brandon Williamson’s turn. He of a much less heralded nature—blame the reputation of Trimont for that—found his outs with less sex appeal; two of them were flyouts of 340+ feet. But, they were outs all the same. And our game was off and running. The first three frames flew by at an alarming rate, totaling perhaps all of 30 minutes. Rob Manfred, somewhere—likely a corporate meeting or stuffy shindig where everyone knows how to properly spell “hors d'oeuvres”—licked his lips and rubbed his hands. The only serious action occurred in the bottom of the third when Minnesota loaded the bases just for Luke Keaschall to strike out looking on a pitch that was a strike by a gnat’s eyelash. Even the robots couldn’t help our poor friend from Watsonville. Did the failed run-scoring attempt spook Ryan? It’s possible. He dazzled McLain once more before Elly De La Cruz got on top of one of his signature top-shelf fastballs and slammed the offering off the right field wall. The hit alone wouldn’t have been much of a problem if Sal Stewarter’s routine grounder to Ryan Kreidler didn’t result in the third baseman dirting the throw to first, forcing Josh Bell to awkwardly scoop, and accidently reject the throw with a reverse-snowcone. Eugenio Suarez then pounced on a lethargic breaker. The gapped double plated both runners. The fifth might exemplify Minnesota’s offensive struggles. Or maybe not. This author isn’t sure. He’s only in the seventh as of writing this sentence. In any case, the team’s first three batters walked, setting up Austin Martin to break the shutout with a sacrifice fly. Then Luke Keaschall hit into a double play. Both batters acted on the first pitch. A swift and unsatisfying ending to what appeared a promising inning, even if a run did score. The eighth came and went. No dice. A runner reached second. Matt Wallner lined out to center. So it goes. Emilio Pagán entered in the ninth. Hmm. He pitched a scoreless frame that ended with a Byron Buxton groundout. So that apparently goes as well. The out concluded what was a meager output by a lineup that had been prone to outbursts entering the game; hopefully, Saturday goes better. Notes: Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Reds face off again on Saturday in a mid-day sojourn, with first pitch arriving at 1:10 PM. Taj Bradley will start opposite Andrew Abbott. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI TOT Morris 67 0 0 0 0 0 67 Topa 12 0 0 13 0 11 36 Orze 0 23 0 12 0 0 35 Sands 0 0 15 0 0 20 35 Acton 0 33 0 0 0 0 33 Banda 0 0 0 24 0 0 24 Funderburk 0 0 0 14 0 8 22 Rogers 0 0 22 0 0 0 22 View the full article

Pedro Ramirez powered the Iowa Cubs with four hits, a home run, and five RBI in an 11-10 win over Columbus, while reliever Will Sanders earned the victory. The Knoxville Smokies rallied past Pensacola 10-9 behind starter Nick Dean and reliever Tyler Ras. Owen Ayers homered to lead South Bend past Beloit 7-5, backed by Nazier Mulé and Brayden Spears. Noah Edders struck out five in three innings as Myrtle Beach fell 9-4. Ramirez Drives In Five In Iowa's Extra-Innings Win Pedro Ramirez collected four hits, a home run, and five RBI to lead the Iowa Cubs to an 11-10 victory over the Columbus Clippers at Huntington Park. Iowa jumped out to a 7-0 lead through three innings, scoring two in the first, three in the second, and two in the third. Columbus answered with three runs of its own in the second, then closed the gap with one run in the seventh, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth to force extra innings. In the tenth, Iowa plated the zombie runner and two more to retake the lead, then held on despite a two-run response in the bottom of the frame. Will Sanders earned the win, tossing four innings and allowing five runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out five. Ben Cowles went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, and James Triantos added a double and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot. Ryan Jensen recorded his first save. The Cubs collected 15 hits and drew six walks, but stranded 20 runners on the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K James Triantos 6 1 2 0 0 0 Pedro Ramirez 6 2 4 5 0 0 Jonathon Long 3 0 1 0 2 1 BJ Murray 3 1 1 0 2 1 Christian Bethancourt 4 2 1 0 1 1 Owen Miller 5 1 2 1 0 0 Ben Cowles 4 1 2 3 0 0 Hayden Cantrelle 4 1 0 0 1 1 Brett Bateman 5 2 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Boyd 3 2/3 4 3 3 1 6 0 Gabe Klobosits 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Will Sanders 4 8 5 5 3 5 1 Ryan Jensen 1 2 1 1 1 2 0 Smokies Erupt For Six In The Eighth To Stun Pensacola The Knoxville Smokies erupted for six runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on for a 10-9 road win against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at Blue Wahoos Stadium. After trailing for most of the night, Knoxville broke the game open in the eighth and tacked on two more in the ninth to create enough of a cushion. The Smokies also scored two in the second inning, fueled by a home run from Edgar Alvarez. Alex Ramirez drove in three on a lone hit, Andy Garriola went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Alex Madera walked three times and stole three bases. Starting pitcher Nick Dean worked four innings, giving up three runs on two hits, walking two, and striking out four. Tyler Ras earned the win across 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Vince Reilly notched the save with a scoreless ninth, walking one and striking out two. The Smokies drew 10 walks, stole five bases, and stranded 19 runners in the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramirez 4 0 1 3 1 0 Jordan Nwogu 6 0 1 1 1 0 Karson Simas 5 0 1 1 0 1 Edgar Alvarez 2 2 1 1 3 1 Carter Trice 4 2 1 0 1 1 Andy Garriola 3 1 2 1 0 0 Ethan Hearn 4 2 1 0 1 1 Devin Ortiz 4 1 0 0 1 1 Alex Madera 2 2 1 1 3 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nick Dean 4 2 3 3 2 4 1 Erian Rodriguez 1 2/3 3 5 4 5 1 0 Tyler Ras 2 1/3 2 1 1 2 4 0 Vince Reilly 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Ayers Homer Powers South Bend Past Beloit Owen Ayers homered and drove in two runs to lead the South Bend Cubs to a 7-5 win over the Beloit Sky Carp at Four Winds Field. South Bend broke the game open with four runs in the third inning and added two more in the fourth to build a 6-1 lead. After Beloit crossed four runs in the seventh to pull within a run, the Cubs tacked on an insurance run in the eighth and closed the door. Ayers finished 2-for-5 with a home run, while Reginald Preciado doubled, scored, and drove in two. Kane Kepley reached base three times on walks, scored twice, and stole three bases out of the leadoff spot. Starting pitcher Nazier Mulé went 3 1/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits, walking three and striking out four. Brayden Spears picked up the win with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief, striking out three. Kenyi Perez slammed the door with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts for his first save. The South Bend staff combined for 10 strikeouts, and the team drew eight walks and stole nine bases in the victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 2 2 0 0 3 1 Leonel Espinoza 3 1 0 0 1 2 Owen Ayers 5 1 2 2 0 2 Kade Snell 1 1 0 2 0 1 Drew Bowser 3 1 0 1 1 4 Cameron Sisneros 4 0 0 0 0 3 Reginald Preciado 4 1 1 2 0 2 Justin Stransky 4 0 1 1 0 1 Christian Olivo 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nazier Mulé 3 1/3 4 1 1 3 4 0 Brayden Spears 2 2/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 JP Wheat 1/3 4 4 4 4 0 0 Nate Williams 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Kenyi Perez 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Hartshorn's Double Not Enough As Pelicans Fall To Kannapolis The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a 9-4 decision to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Pelicans Ballpark. Trailing 1-0 after two innings, Myrtle Beach fell behind 6-1 when Kannapolis plated five runs in the top of the fourth. Josiah Hartshorn doubled and drove in two runs to produce a run in the bottom of the fourth. Myrtle Beach pushed across three runs in the ninth but could not complete the comeback. Hartshorn went 1-for-4 with a walk, Ty Southisene singled and walked in four trips to the plate, and Alexey Lumpuy added a double and two walks. Starting pitcher Noah Edders took the loss despite a solid outing, allowing one run on three hits across three innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Riely Hunsaker followed with three innings and gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits. The Pelicans drew nine walks but struck out 10 times and stranded eight runners on the bases. Myrtle Beach held Kannapolis scoreless in three of the final four innings but could not generate enough offense to climb back. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ty Southisene 3 1 1 0 1 0 Josiah Hartshorn 4 1 1 2 1 1 Alexey Lumpuy 3 0 1 0 2 2 Cole Mathis 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jose Escobar 3 0 1 0 1 1 Eli Lovich 4 0 0 0 0 3 Alexis Hernandez 3 1 0 0 1 0 Jairo Diaz 2 0 0 0 2 2 Edward Vargas 3 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Edders 3 3 1 1 1 5 1 Riely Hunsaker 3 6 6 4 2 4 0 Rowell Arroyo 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Luis A. Reyes 1 2/3 2 2 2 3 1 0 Cubs Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: DNP Kevin Alcantara: DNP Jonathon Long: 1-for-3, 2 BB, K Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 4-for-6, HR, 5 RBI Kane Kepley: 0-for-2, 3 BB, K Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K James Triantos: 2-for-6 Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 0-for-4, K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR (W) Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-3, BB Erian Rodriguez: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, K View the full article

Jake Cronenworth had a lot to prove going into this season. After back-to-back All-Star campaigns in 2021 and 2022, Cronenworth has been a league-average player over the past three years. The San Diego Padres’ infielder has carried a 99 OPS+ from 2023-2025 while averaging less than 2.0 bWAR per season. Now 32, it's been a fair assumption to make that he's past his prime and is no longer capable of star-caliber production. That’s why it has been so disappointing to see Cronenworth get off to an incredibly slow start in 2026. In fact, he's been borderline unplayable so far — he’s hitting .148, with a .246 on-base percentage. That’s almost a full 100 points below his career OBP of .334. Even worse, Cronenworth is not slugging at all. He’s hit just one home run and one double, good for a .213 SLG. In 18 games, he has only driven in three runs. He’s rocking a wRC+ of 40, making him 60% worse than the average big-league hitter. His bWAR is currently sitting at -0.4, on pace for the worst season of his career. Obviously, if Cronenworth continues to hit this poorly, he will eventually be moved to a bench role. The Padres did experiment with Fernando Tatis Jr. at second base twice. If Tatis were to replace Cronenworth at second base, right field would open up to allow more at-bats for Gavin Sheets, Nick Castellanos, and Miguel Andujar. That's a very unlikely outcome given the hit it would apply to the team's defense, but it's one that we must address because of how poor the starting second baseman has been. But the Padres are not going to give up on Cronenworth this early. He still has four years left on his contract after 2026, and the Friars can’t afford to pay him $12 million to sit on the bench. Obviously, the results have not been good, but what do the advanced metrics have to offer? Is Cronenworth due for a breakout soon, or is this what the Padres can expect from him going forward? Jake Cronenworth Is Better Than His 2026 Stats According to Baseball Savant, Cronenworth’s expected stats are significantly better than his results so far. His xBA is .244 (nearly 100 points above his actual average). His xSLG is .360 (147 points above his actual slugging). Those numbers still aren’t great, but they’re a lot better than his current results, and would probably result in an OPS somewhere in the mid-600’s. Combined with his strong defense, Cronenworth’s expected numbers would be good enough to justify him being an everyday player. Cronenworth has been the victim of some bad luck, but he has not been doing himself any favors. His 4.5% barrel rate ranks in the 27th percentile. His 34.1% hard-hit rate ranks in the 23rd percentile. His launch-angle sweet-spot rate of 27.3% ranks in the 23rd percentile. His 71.8 miles per hour bat speed ranks in the 46th percentile, and his 19.2% squared-up rate ranks in the 14th percentile. Those are a lot of numbers to digest, but the gist of it is simple: Cronenworth is not hitting the ball hard very often, he’s not barreling it up or finding the sweet spot of the bat, and he’s not squaring pitches up. Even when he starts getting better BABIP luck, it’s hard to see how those numbers are going to result in more slugging. Bad Luck, Or Bad Timing? Clearly, there is some bad luck to blame here. Cronenworth’s .163 BABIP is the sixth-lowest in baseball, well below his .279 career BABIP. Last year, Eugenio Suarez had the worst BABIP in baseball at .243. The BABIP will stabilize, and Cronenworth’s batting average will rise with it. But there are some more troubling concerns when looking at Cronenworth’s splits. Cronenworth is currently hitting .000 against off-speed pitches. His xBA against off-speed pitches is .136, which is still too low and far below his career numbers. In 2024, Cronenworth hit .289 against off-speed pitches, with an xBA of .266. Last year, he hit .197 against off-speed pitches, a major drop-off from the year before. The trend of Cronenworth not being able to hit changeups has accelerated in 2026 to the point of disaster. It’s also possible that this is all stemming from a timing issue, and that once Cronenworth fixes his timing, he’ll be able to hit the off-speed again. Right now, that’s not happening. He has a 47.1% whiff rate against off-speed pitches. Pitchers have been able to utilize changeups to make Cronenworth look silly. However, it’s not just off-speed pitches that Cronenworth is struggling against. He's seen 51 breaking balls this season, and he’s hitting .063 against them, with an xBA of .151. He’s whiffing against the breaking ball 39.1% of the time. Are Cronenworth’s poor splits simply the result of a slump that he will soon break out of? Or is his slump the result of a decline that is causing him to whiff more often against breaking balls and changeups? It’s hard to say after less than 20 games. The reality is that Cronenworth has not been good, and while the BABIP luck should improve, there are real underlying issues at play that could prolong his slump and eventually cause the Padres to take action and move him out of the everyday lineup. View the full article

Coleman Crow's much-anticipated MLB debut is happening. The right-hander was called up from Triple-A Nashville by the Milwaukee Brewers and will start Friday's series opener on the road against the Miami Marlins. Right-handed reliever Easton McGee was sent back to Nashville. The 25-year-old Crow, the No. 23 prospect by Brewer Fanatic, was acquired by the Crew from the New York Mets for right-hander Adrian Houser and center fielder Tyrone Taylor in December 2023. At the time, he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. It was the second time the Crow had been traded that year. Originally a 28th-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Angels, the Mets acquired him and another minor-leaguer for third baseman Eduardo Escobar. He underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter. Crow did not pitch again until representing the Brewers in the 2024 Arizona Fall League, then made his organizational debut in 2025, appearing in 10 games for Double-A Biloxi and two for Nashville. In those 10 starts at Biloxi, he had a 2.51 ERA and a 0.907 WHIP with eight walks and 52 strikeouts in 43 innings. In three appearances (two starts) at Nashville this year, Crow had a 4.02 ERA with 18 strikeouts and five walks in 15⅔ innings. It remains to be seen if this is a spot start for Crow or if he will be up longer. Left-handed starter Kyle Harrison has been dealing with a wrist issue since his falling during his last start. McGee appeared in just one game with the Brewers, pitching a perfect ninth inning a week ago Friday in a 7-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. View the full article

It is official: Matt Waldron is back. As has been expected since Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta went on the injured list Tuesday, Waldron was activated from the 15-day injured list in order to start Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob, who came up from Triple-A when Pivetta went on the IL, was sent back to El Paso. Waldron had been a candidate to make the Friars' rotation out of spring training, but that was interrupted when he required hemorrhoid surgery on Feb. 24. He was back pitching a couple weeks later, but with the additions of right-handed starters Walker Buehler and German Marquez, the Padres could slow play Waldron's return by putting him on the IL to start the season. Waldron has been on a rehab assignment at El Paso since the Triple-A season began and has performed very well. He made three starts for the Chihuahuas, tossing 12 scoreless innings, giving up seven hits and a walk against 12 strikeouts. Waldron's stay on the roster will depend on how well he performs as he is out of minor-league options. Jacob appeared in one of the three games he was active for, throwing two scoreless innings in Wednesday's 7-6 comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners. View the full article

For the better part of the last decade, the Minnesota Twins have had a familiar flaw. The lineup could hit for power, draw walks, and put together stretches of explosive offense. But when it came to key moments with runners in scoring position, that production too often disappeared. This year, that’s changed in a significant way. In fact, it hasn’t just improved; it’s become one of the defining strengths of the entire offense. After getting off to a sluggish start in those situations, the Twins have completely flipped the script. They now lead all of Major League Baseball with a .314 batting average with runners in scoring position, a massive jump from where they’ve been in recent seasons. That turnaround is even more impressive when paired with the rest of their production, as they also lead the league in on-base percentage (.415) and OPS (.921) in those spots, while pacing all teams in total runs (82) and RBIs (77). That kind of production doesn’t just show up in the numbers. It’s been obvious on the field. Over the past week alone, the Twins have given a clear picture of what this version of the lineup looks like when it’s clicking. Just in the last week-and-a-half, they’ve done serious damage to some of the best pitchers MLB has to offer. Last week, they tagged Framber Valdez for six runs in the first inning of a game that was essentially over before it began, then hung eight more on Max Scherzer on Sunday. They followed that up on Monday with an 11-spot on Garrett Crochet before he could get out of the second inning. Even in games that didn’t turn into complete blowouts, the pressure has been constant. Tarik Skubal couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning against them, nor could Sonny Gray. Those performances are more than the product of hot bats or good timing. They reflect a lineup that is consistently capitalizing when opportunities present themselves. What makes this shift stand out even more is the context. Over each of the last five seasons, the Twins were always a below league average team with runners in scoring position. That wasn’t a one-year anomaly or a small sample issue, it was a consistent trend that showed up in frustrating ways. Too often, a leadoff double would go wasted, or a bases-loaded opportunity would end with a strikeout or weak contact. Big innings were there for the taking, but rarely materialized. Now, those same situations feel entirely different. Instead of pressing, hitters are staying within themselves and putting together competitive at-bats. Instead of expanding the zone, they’re forcing pitchers to work. And rather than relying almost exclusively on solo home runs, they’re stringing together quality contact that keeps innings alive and creates scoring opportunities for the next hitter. It’s a more complete offensive approach, producing results that feel sustainable beyond a short-term hot streak. There’s a reason situational hitting is often pointed to as a key factor in winning games. While it can be difficult to measure consistently year-over-year, teams that convert with runners in scoring position build leads earlier, extend innings, and create constant pressure on opposing pitching staffs. That’s exactly what the Twins have done during their recent stretch, winning eight of their last 10 games. They’re no longer waiting around for a three-run homer to change the game. Instead, they’re creating those big innings through a string of quality at-bats. The natural question, of course, is whether this level of production can continue over the course of a full season. A .314 average with runners in scoring position is a difficult pace to maintain, and some level of regression is almost inevitable. But even if the numbers come back down to earth, they don’t need to be the best in baseball to represent a substantial improvement. Simply being above league-average would mark a significant step forward from where they’ve been in recent years. And there’s reason to believe they will be. You can sense a level of confidence when runners reach scoring position that hasn’t been there in the past. Brooks Lee’s RBI single against Detroit last Thursday feels like the perfect example of that. A guy who was in a serious slump to start the year, and wasn’t even in the starting lineup that day, broke through and sealed the game. If that continues, it raises the ceiling of this team in a very real way. When you pair solid pitching with an offense that consistently cashes in its opportunities, it creates a formula that can sustain success over the long haul. Right now, the Twins are showing what that looks like, and it’s a version of their offense that has been missing for a long time. View the full article

The last time Kansas City saw Seth Lugo in 2025, he exited the game against the Tigers after just 3 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs. A nagging lower back strain—the same spondylolisthesis condition he’s managed since 2012—finally forced him to the sidelines in early September. After a runner-up finish in the 2024 Cy Young race, the question became: Could a 36-year-old with high mileage and back issues return to the elite form that earned him a $46 million extension? Looking at the first two weeks of the 2026 season, his performance is answering with a commanding Yes. Lugo has returned to his very best form. Through his first four starts of the new campaign, the right-hander has posted a 1.48 ERA across 24 1/3 innings, surrendering a mere four earned runs while maintaining a WHIP of 0.99. Those numbers are backed up by Lugo's excellent 2.18 FIP. It’s no secret that Lugo loves to mix pitches and has made a career out of variety. He has ten different pitch types up his sleeve and has used eight of them this season. Comparing this year over the past few seasons, velocity for the four-seam, cutter, sinker, and changeup is virtually unchanged. What has changed so far this season, however, is a more balanced use of pitch types. Over the years, Lugo has always mixed well but has tended to favor a couple of pitches over others. No blame for that; very common for pitchers to hone in on what is working. But this season has kept hitters guessing more than usual. Each pitch type has been used less than 21 percent of the time. And he’s been effective with those pitches. Batters are just hitting .212 overall, including an impressive .150 against the curve. In terms of spin direction, he’s increased both the active spin percentage and total movement on all but the slider. The changeup is moving nearly two and a half inches more than last year. In his 2026 debut against the Braves—a 6 1/3 inning shutout performance—he showcased the four-seam fastball, changeup, curve, cutter, sinker, slider, slurve, and sweeper. He gave up zero walks and just five hits in an efficient 77-pitch outing. In yesterday's outing in Detroit, Lugo unfortunately had a no-decision in what was another impressive start. Much like his season debut, he gave up zero free passes and five hits across 6.2 innings. In 92 pitches, he only surrendered one earned run on a sacrifice fly in the third. After a concerning 9.11 ERA in his final month of 2025, the 2026 version of Lugo looks physically refreshed and is a return to his elite form. By effectively using his full arsenal, hitters genuinely don’t know what to expect. If he continues to stay healthy and build off this early momentum, we may once again be witnessing a Cy Young contender. View the full article

Injuries continue to strike the Chicago Cubs' pitching staff. Right-handed closer Daniel Palencia went on the 15-day injured list Friday with a strained left oblique. A corresponding move to fill Palencia's spot on the active roster was not immediately announced, leaving the team shorthanded for Friday's game against the New York Mets. Palencia becomes the 10th Cubs pitcher to currently be on the injured list, which has challenged the team's depth. He has made five appearances this season, recording a save in his only opportunity while not allowing a run in five innings. Palencia has allowed three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Palencia last pitched Sunday, getting the win after pitching the top of the ninth in the Cubs' 7-6 walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Palencia emerged as the Cubs' closer last season, converting 22 of 25 save chances and posting a 2.91 ERA in 54 appearances. Right-hander Colin Rea is the only other Cub with a save this season, but he is now part of the starting rotation due to the slew of injuries. With Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Porter Hodge and Jordan Wicks also on the IL, the Cubs are likely to use a committee approach to the closing duties. View the full article

The Mets are riding an eight-game losing streak heading into Chicago to face the Cubs. Sitting at 7-12, whispers have started in the media about the status of Carlos Mendoza’s job. Today, the Mets began to shuffle up their lineup, moving Carson Benge to the leadoff spot and Francisco Lindor batting third. Today, David Sterns, the team's President of Baseball Operations, met the media in Chicago, talking about the state of their team. “ We haven't played good baseball for the last week for sure.” He said. “Had a tough time scoring runs. A combination of, we're not hitting great. We also ran into some good pitching, and we need to play better.” The Mets' collective slump in their lineup began when Juan Soto was pulled from the game on April 4th in San Francisco with a calf injury. Since then, the Mets' offense has fallen apart. Since April 5th, the team's first game without Soto, the Mets' lineup has a 36.07% out-of-zone swing percentage, according to FanGraphs. In that timeframe, it leads Major League Baseball. “I think we're trying to score runs, and sometimes, you got to let the pitcher come to you.” Said Sterns on the inflated chase rate. “And that's really easy for me to say, and it's really easy for me to watch a game and think that it's a heck of a lot tougher when you're in the box, and you want to make something happen. “We talked about urgency, and I know you guys have asked about urgency. Urgency is not the problem here. Like, there's plenty of urgency, there's plenty of want, and sometimes that can lead to things like chase rate, unfortunately, but I think that ends with one basis clearing double. We've all seen that time and again throughout our careers in baseball. And I think once we get that, it will, it'll normalize.” The good news for the Mets is that Soto is expected to return during their next homestand, a nine-game stand. Adding Soto’s prolific bat back into the lineup should help relieve some of the pressure on the rest of the lineup to come through in big spots. Amid all the losing and noise about Mendoza’s job, Sterns publicly confirms that Mendoza is not the problem. “I think Mendy's doing a very good job. I think Mendy is putting players in positions to succeed.” The issue with the Mets could also be a familiar one to teams with a lot of new pieces, and that is an adjustment period for everyone to get used to each other. Sterns believes there could be some truth to that with this ballclub. “I think there are adjustment periods. I think that's natural. I think specifically in New York, there are adjustment periods. We've seen that time and again.” He said. “My sense and you guys are around the team on a daily basis, can sense it, probably, and talking to our players, but my sense is our team has jelled pretty well. I think it was a focus in spring training. “I think guys spent a lot of time together in spring training, part of, part of being a good team over six, seven month stretch, is finding your identity through adversity. And we're facing adversity right now. It's really an earlier stage that any of any of us expected or wanted, but this has an opportunity to be part of our story, help us find our identity, come through this, and understand we have the ability to do that and and based on the guys we have and the quality of work and the quality of people, I believe we will be able to do that.” The bottom line is the Mets need to turn this around, and it starts this weekend against the Cubs. We might be 20 games into the season, but the saying goes that you can’t win a division in April, but you can certainly lose one, and the Mets are already in the basement looking up at the rest of the NL East before facing any of those teams. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (April 14 - 16) Triple A Worcester Red Sox April 14: Worcester lost the first game of the series to Nashville 9-4 due to rough pitching and sloppy defense. Patrick Sandoval made his second rehab start, and it was a wild one. Sandoval got into trouble early in the 1st inning, giving up a leadoff single, then giving up a walk and hitting a batter to load the bases with no outs. Sandoval walked in a run after facing the next batter and gave up two RBI sacrifice flies to put Nashville up 3-0. There were not many positive takeaways from this game, other than Jason Delay hitting a homer off of former Red Sox prospect Shane Drohan. Patrick Sandoval’s outing: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1K April 15: The WooSox suffered their second straight loss to the Nashville Sounds 5-3. Worcester's only lead of the game happened in the top of the 1st when Allan Castro hit an RBI single to earn his second multi-hit game in the last three games. The WooSox had a lot of traffic on the bases on offense, including 11 walks as a team, unfortunately they could not capitalize as they were 2-for-14 with RISP. Kristian Campbell had a decent day, getting on base three times with two walks and a sharp grounder to right field. Tayron Guerrero kept his scoreless streak going to start the season after throwing a shutout in the 7th inning. Key Performances: Allan Castro: 2-for-5, R, RBI Tayron Guerrero: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K April 16: *Suspended due to rain* Double A Portland Sea Dogs April 14: The Portland Sea Dogs defeat the winless Altoona Curve 4-2. Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias blasted his first homer of the year in the top half of the 3rd inning to put the Sea Dogs up 2-0. In the bottom half of the 3rd, Cooper Adams came into the game inheriting two runners with no outs and got out of the jam with no damage after a double play that started as a routine groundout to the pitcher but instead the runner took off for home as the ball was thrown to first base, a good throw from Drew Ehrhard to home plate resulted in the double play. Adams caught the next batter looking on strikes to end the inning. Ahbram moved his hit streak up to 6 games after hitting an RBI single in the 7th to put Portland on top 4-1. Key Performances: Franklin Arias: HR, 2 RBI Cooper Adams: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K Cade Feeney: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4K April 15: The Sea Dogs won 5 of their last 6 games after defeating the Altoona Curve 8-6. Franklin Arias has been on a tear so far this season. While leading off the game, he belted his second homer in back-to-back games to put Portland up 1-0 in the 1st. In the 3rd, the Sea Dogs got the bats going that started with an Arias single to make it 2-2 on the day, Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario got on base to load them up. Drew Ehrhard brought in a run with a sacrifice fly. Will Turner also had a nice day at the plate as he hit the rest of the runners in with an RBI triple, and Tyler McDonough followed up with an RBI double. A couple of wild pitches ended up bringing in McDonough to put the Sea Dogs on top 6-0. Marvin Alcantara and Baez were responsible for the last two RBIs with a pair of RBI doubles. Gage Ziehl had another nice day on the mound. He threw five innings without allowing any runs and struck out six batters to earn the win. Key Performances: Franklin Arias: 2-for-3, HR, 4 R, 2 BB Will Turner: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB Gage Ziehl: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K April 16: The Portland Sea Dogs won their third straight game of the series with a shutout victory over the Altoona Curve, 7-0. In the 2nd inning, the Sea Dogs loaded the bases with three walks, and Raudelis Martinez brought in two runs with a single to put Portland on top 2-0. Max Ferguson blasted a grand slam in the 3rd inning to put Portland up to a huge 6-0 lead early in the game. Marvin Alcantara had himself a nice night at the plate as he hit a solo home run shot in the 4th to increase their lead to 7-0. Eduardo Rivera had a tremendous day on the mound. He threw 5.2 innings, allowed three hits without allowing any runs, and struck out nine batters to earn a win. Joe Vagatsky threw the last 3.1 innings and kept the shutout going to earn a save while only giving up one hit. Key Performances: Eduardo Rivera: 5.2, 3 H, 0 ER, 9 K Joe Vagatsky: 3.1, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K Marvin Alcantara: 3-for-5, R, RBI Max Ferguson: HR, 4 RBI High A Greenville Drive April 14: The Greenville Drive was shut out by the Bowling Green Hot Rods 3-0. Greenville only had one hit the entire game, which came from Yophery Rodriguez. Not many good performances happened in this game with the bats or the arms, other than P.J. Labriola, who threw two scoreless innings. April 15: Greenville continued their losing skid after a 6-4 defeat against Bowling Green. They are still finding trouble to score with RISP as they were 0-for-7 in this game. Henry Godbout hammered his first of many homers to come in his professional career. Other than the Drive not being able to hit with RISP, they showed they can hit the long ball as they hit four solo home runs coming from Mason White, Adonys Guzman, and Jack Winnay. Key Performances: Mason White: 2-for-4, HR Adonys Guzman: 2-for-4, HR April 16: The Greenville Drive suffered another tough loss to the Hot Rods in a 9-8 defeat. Juan Valera came out of the game after the 1st inning due to elbow inflammation so the bullpen had to step up in his early absence. To start off the 3rd inning, Yophery Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season and Top prospect Yoeilin Cespedes belted a three-run homer to put Greenville in a comfortable 4-0 lead. The pitching struggled as they gave up four runs to tie the game but the Drive fought back as Cespedes hit his second home run of the game with a two-run shot in the 5th. His Greenville teammate Rodriguez hammered his second home run of the game as well with a solo shot that put them on top 7-5. The bullpen could not hold onto the lead but the Drive were still focused on coming back as they were one run shy of tying the game but they did not deliver in the 9th. Key Performances: Yoeilin Cespedes: 2 HR, 5 RBI Yophery Rodriguez: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI Single-A Salem RidgeYaks April 14: The Salem RidgeYaks lost the first game of the series to the Hickory Crawdads 7-5 after having a rough 6th inning. As Salem was down 2-0 in the 4th, a pair of doubles hit by Starlyn Nunez and Enddy Azocar got them on the board. After Kleyver Salazar drew a walk, with two runners on, Skylar King belted a three-run homer to put the RidgeYaks up 4-2. In the 5th, Salazar hammered a double to increase their lead 5-2. With the score at 5-3 entering the 6th, things would fall as the Crawdads would regain their lead scoring three runs due to a home run, single and another run scoring from an error after a single, 6-5 Crawdads. Salem went hitless the next three innings as Hickory scored another run to end the game 7-5. Key Performances: Enddy Azocar: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI Skylar King: HR, 3 RBI, BB April 15: The RidgeYaks dropped their 2nd game of the series in a close 5-4 defeat to the Crawdads. Salem got themselves an early three-run lead in the 2nd inning after IIan Fernandez belted a three-run homer. Jacob Mayers unfortunately lost control of his pitches as he gave up four walks and threw a wild pitch, giving up three runs in the process to tie the game up. Entering the 6th in a tie game, Skylar King walked and stole a base; afterwards, Ty Hodge brought him in by hitting an RBI single to make it a 4-3 game. The RidgeYaks' pitching could not hold onto the lead in the last three innings, while the bats would go hitless to end the game 5-4. Key performances: IIan Fernandez: HR, 3 RBI Myles Patton: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K April 16: The RidgeYaks still had a tough time playing the Crawdads as they lost their third straight game in a 14-5 defeat. The pitching staff had a tough time this game, but the defense did not help with the three errors they had in the game. Andrews Opata had a multi-hit day at the plate, including a solo home run and a two-run single. View the full article

Red Sox no. 7 prospect Jake Bennett has seen a little bit of everything. He has elevated in minor league status, changed teams, and even had to overcome Tommy John Surgery. In his first crack at Triple-A, he looks unfazed and stronger than ever. In this video, we break down Jake Bennett's intangibles and just how quickly he could rise up Boston's pipeline. View the full article

Three of the four San Diego Padres affiliates grabbed wins Thursday. Triple-A El Paso's Mason McCoy slugged two homers, but the Chihuahuas fell 10-9. Miguel Mendez tossed five innings, yielding one run on two hits with six strikeouts, as Double-A San Antonio topped Midland 4-1. High-A Fort Wayne belted five home runs in an 8-3 rout of Lake County, with Jake Cunningham hitting two. Low-A Lake Elsinore pounded out 13 hits in an 11-7 road win at Stockton, powered by Bryan Balzer's five innings. Padres Minor League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas placed LHP Marco Gonzales on the 7-day injured list. El Paso Chihuahuas activated C Colton Vincent. C Rodolfo Durán roster status changed by El Paso Chihuahuas. Padres optioned IF Sung-Mun Song to El Paso Chihuahuas. HP Andrew Thurman assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions. San Antonio Missions activated RHP Manuel Castro. Fort Wayne TinCaps activated LHP C.J. Widger from the 7-day injured list. RHP Matthew Watson assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from ACL Padres. RHP Vicarte Domingo assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from Fort Wayne TinCaps. McCoy's Two-Homer Night Not Enough In Chihuahuas' Loss The El Paso Chihuahuas dropped a 10-9 decision to the Round Rock Express despite a pair of home runs from Mason McCoy. After pushing across a run on a Jose Miranda ground ball in the top of the second, McCoy followed with a two-run blast to left that scored Nate Mondou and pushed the lead to 3-0. El Paso extended it to 6-2 in the third on back-to-back run-scoring singles from Mondou and Nick Solak. Round Rock answered with two runs in the second, five more in the third and another two in the fourth for a 9-6 lead. Solak singled home another run in the fifth, and, after a Round Rock homer in the seventh, McCoy launched his second homer of the night in the eighth, a two-run shot to left-center that pulled the Chihuahuas within one. McCoy finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs, and Solak drove in three runs on two hits. Griffin Canning, on a rehab assignment from the Padres, took the loss, allowing six runs, two earned, on one hit in 2⅔ innings. He walked four and struck out six, surrendering one home run. Yuki Matsui, also on a rehab assignment, pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. EP_0416.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor, LF 4 0 1 0 1 1 Pablo Reyes, 3B 4 1 0 0 1 0 Carlos Rodríguez, RF 3 2 0 0 2 0 Jase Bowen, CF 4 1 1 0 1 2 Nate Mondou, DH 3 2 1 1 1 1 Marcos Castañon, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Solak, 1B 3 0 2 3 1 0 Jose Miranda, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Clay Dungan, 2B 0 1 0 0 0 0 Mason McCoy, SS 3 2 2 4 0 0 Anthony Vilar, C 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Yuki Matsui 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 4 3 3 1 1 0 Griffin Canning 2 2/3 1 6 2 4 6 1 Miguel Cienfuegos 1 2/3 3 1 1 1 3 1 Ethan Routzahn 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Mendez Dominates As Missions Cruise Past RockHounds The San Antonio Missions beat the Midland RockHounds 4-1, fueled by a sharp outing from Miguel Mendez and timely hitting across the lineup. Mendez worked five innings and allowed one earned run on two hits, walking two and striking out six to earn the win. Braedon Karpathios opened the scoring in the second inning with a run-scoring triple to center. In the third, Luis Verdugo doubled, advanced to third, and scored on a Romeo Sanabria sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Midland pulled within 2-1 in the bottom of the third, but Ethan Salas answered in the fifth with an RBI double to left that plated Luis Verdugo. San Antonio tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Verdugo lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Ryan Jackson. Salas finished 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, two walks, and a stolen base. Verdugo went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and scored twice. Jackson added two hits, a walk, a double, two stolen bases, and a run. Eric Yost closed out the win with four scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking three, and striking out three to collect the save. San Antonio stole three bases, drew six walks, and stranded 20 runners as a team. SA_0416.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas, C 3 0 1 1 2 1 Francisco Acuna, SS 4 0 0 0 1 2 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 4 0 0 1 0 3 Leandro Cedeño, DH 3 0 0 0 2 2 Tirso Ornelas, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan Jackson, 2B 3 1 2 0 1 1 Braedon Karpathios, RF 4 1 1 0 0 3 Albert Fabian, LF 4 0 1 0 0 1 Kai Roberts, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 3 2 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Mendez 5 2 1 1 2 6 0 Eric Yost 4 1 0 0 3 3 0 TinCaps Launch Five Homers In Rout Of Captains The Fort Wayne TinCaps slugged their way to an 8-3 road win over the Lake County Captains, connecting for five home runs, including two from Jake Cunningham. Fort Wayne fell behind 1-0 in the first, but Lamar King Jr. tied the game in the second with a solo shot to left. The Captains regained the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the second, and the score held until the sixth, when Rosman Verdugo and Alex McCoy hit back-to-back solo homers to put the TinCaps ahead 3-2. Cunningham padded the lead with a solo blast to left-center in the seventh. After Lake County trimmed the gap to 4-3 in the eighth, Fort Wayne blew it open in the ninth. King doubled home Kavares Tears, and Cunningham followed with a three-run homer that scored King and Jack Costello. Cunningham finished 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBI. King Jr. went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, two RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. Carson Montgomery made the start and delivered four innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with three walks and four strikeouts, surrendering two home runs. Tucker Musgrove, in his season debut, Braian Salazar, Kleiber Olmedo, and Igor Gil followed in relief, with Salazar notching the save and Musgrove collecting the win. FW_0416.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells, CF 4 0 0 0 1 2 Rosman Verdugo, 3B 4 1 1 1 0 1 Alex McCoy, DH 4 1 1 1 0 2 Kavares Tears, RF 3 1 0 0 1 2 Lamar King Jr., C 4 2 3 2 0 1 Jack Costello, 1B 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jake Cunningham, LF 4 2 2 4 0 1 Jonathan Vastine, SS 4 0 0 0 0 4 Oswaldo Linares, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 4 4 2 2 3 4 2 Tucker Musgrove 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Braian Salazar 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 5 0 Kleiber Olmedo 1 1/3 2 1 1 3 2 1 Igor Gil 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Storm Pound Ports Behind 11-Run Attack Following back-to-back extra-innings losses, the Lake Elsinore Storm topped the Stockton Ports 11-7, erupting for a six-run second inning and collecting 13 hits. Bradley Frye went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Truitt Madonna added two doubles and an RBI. Kerrington Cross finished 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, a walk, and two runs. Madonna got the Storm on the board in the first with an RBI double that plated Frye. Stockton answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to lead 2-1. Lake Elsinore responded with seven runs in the second. Conner Westenburg drew a bases-loaded walk to score Jose Verdugo, Ryan Wideman doubled home Victor Duarte and Cross, Frye singled in Westenburg and Wideman, and Kale Fountain capped the frame with a two-run homer to left-center that scored Madonna, pushing the lead to 8-2. Justin DeCriscio drilled a two-run homer in the fifth and Cross followed one out later with a solo shot to make it 11-4. Bryan Balzer earned the win, working five innings while allowing four earned runs on six hits with two walks, five strikeouts, and one home run. Javier Chacon followed with two innings, striking out six. LE_0416.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman, CF 3 1 2 2 1 1 Bradley Frye, DH 5 1 3 2 0 1 Truitt Madonna, C 5 1 2 1 0 1 Kale Fountain, RF 5 1 1 2 0 3 Jose Verdugo, SS 5 2 2 0 0 2 Jorge Quintana, SS 1 0 0 0 0 0 Justin DeCriscio, 2B 2 1 1 2 0 0 Victor Duarte, 1B 3 1 0 0 1 1 Kerrington Cross, 3B 3 2 2 1 1 0 Conner Westenburg, LF 3 1 0 1 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer 5 6 4 4 2 5 1 Sean Barnett 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 Javier Chacon 2 1 2 0 0 6 1 Daichi Moriki 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: 5 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 6 K (W) Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 0-for-1 Kale Fountain: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K Ryan Wideman: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K, SB Romeo Sanabria: 0-for-4, RBI, 3 K Truitt Madonna: 2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, K, SB Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR (W) View the full article

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The Twins’ early season has already sparked some intriguing storylines, especially with Mick Abel, Joe Ryan, and Taj Bradley showing flashes of a potential nasty rotation trio. Meanwhile, Byron Buxton’s impact is still undeniable, but his lack of activity on the bases is becoming something worth watching. View the full article

Trade speculation is part of the fabric of a long baseball season, and it's still months away from the MLB Trade Deadline. Still, one prominent MLB insider is looking at potential solutions for a struggling American League contender. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently examined early-season trends around the league, including a Boston Red Sox lineup that has yet to find its footing. With the absence of Alex Bregman leaving a noticeable void, Bowden pointed directly to the infield as an area of concern. “I’m not sure they’re going to get enough offense — specifically from their infield — to get back to the postseason,” said Bowden. “I believe there is pressure on the front office to find another impact bat to help lengthen the lineup, preferably a third baseman.” From there, Bowden began to explore possible solutions, and that is where Royce Lewis’ name entered the discussion. “I like Caleb Durbin, don’t get me wrong, but I like him more as a utility player than an everyday player. Perhaps a trade with the Astros for Isaac Paredes or the Twins for Royce Lewis (once he’s healthy again) would work? Or a deal for a younger option, like the Nationals’ Brady House?” It is important to note that this is outside speculation rather than any indication that Minnesota is actively shopping Lewis. Still, it highlights how the rest of the league views his upside when healthy. At the moment, Lewis is working his way back from a Grade 1 left knee sprain suffered on April 9 when he felt a pop during a game. The initial concern has since subsided following encouraging MRI results, and he is expected to return around April 21. For a player who has dealt with multiple injuries early in his career, even a relatively minor setback is enough to draw attention. Before landing on the injured list, Lewis was showing signs of growth at the plate. He posted a .222/.378/.444 slash line with two home runs, eight RBIs, and eight walks across 45 plate appearances. The most notable development has been his patience, with a 17.8% walk rate that nearly triples last season’s mark and sits well above his career average. That approach hints at a more complete offensive profile, one that could further elevate his value. In the meantime, the Twins have turned to a veteran platoon of Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler at third base. It has been a functional solution, but not one that replicates Lewis’ upside. His eventual return should stabilize the position and deepen a lineup that has leaned on its versatility. If Minnesota were to entertain a move involving Lewis, it would not be without internal alternatives. Brooks Lee has struggled defensively at shortstop, and a shift to third base could better suit his range limitations. That would open the door for top prospect Kaelen Culpepper to step into a larger role at shortstop, giving the organization a different kind of infield alignment. Even with those possibilities, dealing Lewis would represent a significant philosophical shift. He has shown the potential to be a cornerstone talent when healthy, and his flashes of impact have reinforced that belief. External interest is not surprising, but it does not necessarily align with the Twins’ current competitive window. For now, Bowden’s comments serve more as a reminder than a prediction. When a player with Lewis’ ability shows even incremental improvement, the rest of the league takes notice. Whether that ever turns into something more concrete is a question that will linger, but Minnesota’s focus remains on getting him back on the field and contributing. View the full article

Welcome to Shape of the Blue Jays, my column where I dig into Statcast numbers to analyze recent pitch shape and swing shape trends for Toronto Blue Jays players and discuss how they have impacted their performance. Click here to read the last edition. Quick Hits: Offense Despite a couple of isolated positive efforts recently, the Jays' offense has been an unfortunate combination of injured and bad this year. They're still the standard of the league when it comes to making contact, and they're still hitting a ton of line drives. They have a bottom-three chase rate in MLB, but their bottom-10 chase rate last year wasn't much better. The balls in play just haven't been as threatening: They have the fourth-worst barrel%, fifth-worst hard hit%, and third-worst average exit velocity. Last year got better as it progressed, but on the season, they were merely average to decent in these categories. There have been some clear team-wide mechanical differences at the plate. These don't lie so much with how fast they're swinging, but rather their inability to make their contact useful. They're bottom-three in both of Statcast's squared-up% and blast% (the latter being squared-up fast swings) after being top 10 in both last year. They pulverized fastballs in October, but in the regular season, their real calling card was spoiling secondaries. This year's Blue Jays haven't been half bad with heaters, but they led the league last year in wOBA, xwOBA, and contact% against breaking balls and off-speed pitches. In 2026, that has turned into a bottom-10 wOBA, although their xwOBA suggests it should be better, and they're still not missing them. In sum, I wouldn't say their underlying process has been terrible, but until the quality improves on their balls in play, they won't score many runs. Louis Varland If you don't like where the Blue Jays are at now, it's hard to imagine where they'd be without Louis Varland, who has been lights-out (0 ER, 16 K, 11 IP). Discourse surrounding the closer position captivated the fanbase after he bailed them out in the 10th inning on Monday in Milwaukee, but they can't afford to confine Varland's role to just one inning with what he's doing. Pitch usage-wise, he's in a very similar spot to when Toronto acquired him from the Twins last year, but he's showing some slightly better shapes across the board. He's added a tick of vertical break to his fastball, proceeded with the more downward changeup he flashed in spring training, and generated more lift and glove-side movement on his low-90s slider. Varland MLB Ranks, 2026 (Among 215 Qualified Relievers) Stat Rank K% 7 K-BB% 11 GB% 25 xFIP 6 Pitching+ 5 per FanGraphs According to the Blue Jays broadcast on Thursday afternoon, Sportsnet's Hazel Mae asked Varland if he felt there was anything specific in his arsenal that made his fastball and curveball play up. I'm paraphrasing here, but he essentially said that regardless of the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, any well-executed pitch is a good one, regardless of the situation. That's a good summary of how things are going for him right now. The stuff is just so good throughout the arsenal, and he can throw strikes too. Daulton Varsho After a tough start, Daulton Varsho has become one of the few bright spots in the lineup, going 10-for-26 with three home runs since the start of the Twins series last weekend. His bat tracking specs are surprisingly way different from last year's excellent but injury-shortened performance: He has lost bat speed but also shortened his swing by a lot (the two are correlated), going from a pull-air approach to an all-fields, line-drive one. Most intriguingly, his strikeout rate is down to 11.9%. His previous career-best is 21.3%. I'm sure that will go up, as he's currently making an unsustainable amount of contact outside the zone, but he's also making more contact in the zone too, which is a more repeatable skill. Varsho Swing Mechanics, 2025 vs. 2026 Year Bat Speed Swing Length Swing Tilt Contact Point (rel. to home plate) Attack Angle Attack Direction 2025 75.6 mph 7.9' 30° -0.8" 13° 4° pull 2026 73.4 mph 7.5' 28° -2.9" 8° 0° MLB Avg. 71.7 mph 7.3' 32° 2.9" 10° 2° pull per Statcast One thing I can't make sense of: Despite flattening out his swing and attack angle, centering his attack direction, and letting the ball travel further, he's... still pulling balls in the air at a remarkable pace. However it's happening, it's working. Varsho has also trimmed his chase rate and is walking at a 10.4% clip, which would tie a career high. As for his throwing arm, which was dangerously weak after shoulder surgery, his maximum and average throw velocities from the outfield are still below-average, but each is up about 7.5 mph compared to last year, a good sign for his health. He's up to a .267 batting average and 132 wRC+ on the year, and is on a pace of about 4.9 fWAR per 650 plate appearances. If that holds, he's going to get paid at season's end. Patrick Corbin Patrick Corbin turned in a fine performance in his second start as a Blue Jay on Thursday at Milwaukee (5.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 6 K, 1 BB) after a rough debut last Friday. In that first outing, his cutter got crushed by righties on the outer half of the plate. That remained the case, but this time, he started the game by relying much more on his four-seamer and managed to avoid giving up early home runs. No stuff model is ever going to write home about it (91 mph, 14" iVB, 9" arm-side HB), but it doesn't seem like the Brewers were expecting it, considering he barely threw it against Minnesota. During his second trip through the order, he quickly reintroduced the cutter as velocity on the fastball dipped into the high-80s. He also pushed his sinker more to righties (38%) than in his first start (22%). It was his slider, though, that gave the Brewers fits all game long. It's nothing more than a slow gyro (79 mph, 0" iVB, 3" glove-side HB), but it was responsible for five of his six strikeouts on the day. It got a 50% chase rate, seven misses on 10 swings, and a 50% called strike plus whiff rate. Overall, I'd expect his usage patterns to change again in his next start. Staying unpredictable and changing things up the more hitters see him is how he'll be effective. Patrick Corbin Slider Whiffs by Location, 2026/04/16 (Statcast) All visuals and figures courtesy of Baseball Savant and FanGraphs. Up to date as of April 17, 2026. View the full article

At long last, the San Diego Padres' franchise sale saga appears to be nearing its end. The Seidler family has chosen its winning bidder, private-equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones. First on the news was Jared Diamond and Miriam Gottfried of the Wall Street Journal. The reported price of the sale will be $3.9 billion, which is $800 million more (roughly 20%) than Forbes' latest evaluation of the organization ($3.1 billion). It is also an MLB record by a significant margin, easily clearing the $2.4 billion paid by Steve Cohen to acquire the New York Mets in 2020. As our @Steve Drumwright noted earlier this week, the finalists had submitted their bids and were waiting a final decision from the Seidler family. Feliciano led a group of investors in 2022 that purchased the Chelsea Football Club for over £4.25 billion (more than $5 billion). There does not appear to be a consortium involved in this deal; from what's publicly available, it seems as though Feliciano and Jones will be the sole owners of the team. They'll be taking over for the Seidler family, who lost their patriarch, Peter, in 2024. Peter Seidler had bought the team in 2012 for $800 million, and after a slow start under his stewardship -- the team didn't post a record above .500 between 2012-19 -- the franchise has evolved into one of the league's premier contenders in recent years. Since 2020, the Padres have run one of the league's highest payroll while making the playoffs four times in six years, including an NLCS appearance in 2022. A sale of this magnitude will take some time to finalize, though there's no reason to expect that the other owners won't vote to ratify it. Feliciano immediately becomes one of the league's wealthiest owners and will likely have an outsized voice at the table during the upcoming CBA negotiations. View the full article

Owen and Jesse are back with even worse news than last episode: the Blue Jays have lost 5 straight series and fallen four games below .500. The guys rant about the poor offense and defense before going over the bright spot that included strong starts from Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease and Patrick Corbin, and breaking down the struggles of relievers like Jeff Hoffman and Tyler Rogers. They then talk about Lenyn Sosa’s first impression with the Jays, then give injury updates on Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, George Springer, and Addison Barger before previewing the weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article